Along Party Lines
The Leader • Saturday, October 31, 2020 • Page 1B
Photo by Adam Zuvanich Voters stand in line outside Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church, 2025 W. 11th St., during the first day of early voting Oct. 13. More than 1.2 million people already have voted in Harris County.
Champion takes aim at unseating Jackson Lee By Adam Zuvanich
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, and Stein said only 2530 percent of Harris County voters could cast ballots that day. More than 1.2 million people had voted through Tuesday, according to the Harris County Clerk’s Office. “I don’t expect Sheila is go-
azuvanich@theleadernews.com
Wendell Champion and Sheila Jackson Lee are both Houstonians who want to represent their city in Washington for the next two years. And both have roots in the northeast part of the United States, having lived in Queens, New York as youngsters. Both are African-American, too, and they pride themselves on being able to relate to people of all colors and cultures, regardless of their economic status and religious beliefs and even their political persuasions. But there also are significant differences between Champion and Jackson Lee, who are vying for the District 18 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives along with Libertarian Luke Spencer and independent Vince Duncan. Champion is a Republican and the latest in a line of challengers to Jackson Lee, a Democrat in a decidedly blue district and a Congresswoman with more than a quarter-century of incumbency.
See District 18, P. 4B
Lee
Champion
“Look, anyone that will suggest that you go against an incumbent and not have an uphill battle is not being truthful,” Champion said. “But what we’ve done since February, we’ve continued to gain momentum.” Champion, 56, a former U.S. Army captain who has worked as an attorney and in law enforcement, said he has made inroads with voters all across District 18, which includes Downtown Houston, the Heights, Garden Oaks and Oak Forest areas as well as the north, northeast and south parts of the city. But
can he win a general election against Jackson Lee, 70, who is seeking her 14th term and has never received less than 70 percent of the vote? Bob Stein, a political science professor at Rice University, said that possibility is “not even in the stars.” He said Champion’s best bet would have been “extremely low turnout among AfricanAmerican voters,” who tend to vote Democrat, and instead the Houston area has seen record-breaking turnout during the extended early voting period that began Oct. 13 and ended Friday.
Drive-through voting continues, could face more legal challenges
Attorney & Counselor at Law
ESTATE PLANNING PROBATE BUSINESS LAW
713.588.5744
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1305 W. 11th St., #3094, Houston, TX 77008
Texas District 18
The current Congresswoman has been in office for over 25 years...13 terms! That’s simply too long. If you are ready for a change then VOTE for WENDELL CHAMPION FOR CONGRESS in this election.
VOTE Early Voting: Oct. 13 - Oct. 30 Election Day: Nov. 3
By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com
The Texas Supreme Court on Oct. 22 rejected lawsuits filed in part by the Republican Party chapters for Texas and Harris County that sought to stop the practice of drive-through voting, which has proved popular during early voting. The decision by the state’s highest court allows the practice to continue in Texas’ most populous county, which is implementing 10 drive-through voting locations for early voting and Election Day on Nov. 3. Among the drive-through locations is Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church at 2025 W. 11th St. But Bob Stein, a political science professor at Rice University, said the practice remains vulnerable to potential legal challenges after the election. The Texas Supreme Court did not issue an order or opinion in rejecting the lawsuits, but a dissenting opinion was filed by Justice John Devine. “It would have to be in a situation where the race is so close,” Stein said of a losing candidate challenging the legality of drivethrough voting. “My sense is that in Harris County, none of the races are going to be close enough for that to happen. But be prepared for it.” Earlier Oct. 22, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo publi-
Jennifer M. Solak
“from Welfare to West Point”
Photo by Adam Zuvanich An election worker walks near the drive-through voting booths at Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church on Oct. 13.
cized a letter she wrote to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, asking him to assure that drive-through votes in the county will be counted amid the legal challenges. “In absence of such an assurance, we can only conclude that state officials, in concert with the Texas Republican Party, are laying the groundwork to intentionally disenfranchise the tens of thousands of Harris County voters who have utilized drivethru voting by invalidating their votes,” Hidalgo wrote. “If this were to come to pass, it would be an outrageous act of voter suppression and an overt attack on the basic constitutional rights of our citizens.” In her letter, Hidalgo said the county implemented drivethrough voting with the approval and under the guidance of
Secretary of State Ruth Hughs. But since Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sent a letter to the state’s elections administrators Oct. 16 questioning the legality of drive-through voting, Hidalgo said Hughs had not responded to county officials’ repeated requests for reassurance. Hughs’ office did not respond to emailed questions about drive-through voting. “The Texas Secretary of State months ago told us that was OK,” Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins said. “We wouldn’t have done it without the Secretary of State’s guidance at the time.” The Texas GOP and a voter previously sued Hollins Oct. 12, the day before the start of early See Drive-through, P. 4B
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Let’s help Sheila Jackson Lee RETIRE this year! Find your nearest polling location at:
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